Marine running light construction

ABSTRACT

The combination of a lamp housing and a pivotally mounted lens, the latter being adapted to swing between an open and a closed position. The lens has a resilient arm extending outwardly from the lens away from the pivot axis, with a bearing edge adapted to sweep through an arc adjacent an inner face of the housing. The face has a cam surface following the arc, such that the bearing arc is biased toward one end or the other of the cam surface, corresponding to the open and closed positions of the lens.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Hugo Magi Etobicoke; John Smith, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada [21] Appl, No. 863,089 [22] Filed Oct. 2, 1969 [45] Patented May 25, 1971 [73] Assignee Aqua-Marine Manufacturing Limited Toronto, Ontario, Canada [54] MARINE RUNNING LIGHT CONSTRUCTION [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,831,959 11/1931 Landine 240/7.5

Primary Examiner-Donald O. Woodiel Att0rney -Sims & McBumey ABSTRACT: The combination of a lamp housing and a pivotally mounted lens, the latter being adapted to swing between an open and a closed position. The lens has a resilient arm extending outwardly from the lens away from the pivot axis, with a bearing edge adapted to sweep through an arc ad- 6 Claims 5 Drawing Flgs' jacent an inner face of the housing. The face has a cam surface 240l7.5 following the arc, such that the bearing arc is biased toward B63b 45/04 one end or the other of the cam surface, corresponding to the 240/ 7.5 open and closed positions of the lens.

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MARINE RUNNING LIGHT CONSTRUCTION This invention relates generally to the construction of lens and housing combinations suitable for use as a deck-mounted running light on marine craft. More particularly, this invention relates to a pivotal lens which can be swung out of the way to permit access to the interior of the housing, but which retains itself in its closed position when placed in that position.

It is an object of this invention to provide a housing and lens construction whichinvolves, essentially, only three separate parts, two of these constituting the housing and the third constituting the lens, thereby materially to reduce the cost of manufacture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a lens and housing construction in which the lens is adapted to hold itself in either a closed or an open position, and wherein mere finger pressure is sufficient to move the lens between these two positions.

Accordingly, this invention provides, in combination, a lamp housing comprising a first portion and a second portion spaced from each other, a lens mounted to pivot about an axis extending between said first portion and said second portion, the lens extending to either side of said axis and being restrained against movement longitudinally of said axis, a resilient arm extending outwardly from the lens away from the axis and having a bearing edge adapted to sweep through an are adjacent one of said portions as said lens pivots about said axis between a first position when the lens is closed and a second position when the lens is open, said one of said portions having a cam surface following said are and adapted to engage said bearing edge with mechanical interference, the cam surface defining a peak between two oppositely sloping ramps, said peak being located between said first and second positions.

One embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a two-lens housing, with both lenses closed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the housing of FIG. 1, with both lenses in the open position;

FIG. 3 is a partly broken-away perspective view, taken from the rear, of the lamp housing of FIG. 1, with one lens open and the other lens closed;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of part of the bottom portion of the lamp housing; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the curved section line 55 in FIG. 4.

Attention is directed firstly to FIG. I, which shows a housing having a top portion 12 and a bottom portion 14. The top and bottom portions 12 and 14 are planar, substantially parallel, and held apart in spaced relationship by a front column 16, two sidewalls 18 (only one visible in FIG. I), and a rear wall 20, the latter being visible in FIG. 3. The housing has generally the shape of a truncated pyramid of which the cross section is an irregular hexagon.

The housing 10 has two lens openings 22, each being adjacent the front column 16, and each spanning two adjacent side facets of the hexagonal pyramid.

Two lenses 24 (only one visible in FIG. 1) are provided to occupy the lens openings 22, and because the two facets spanned by each lens opening 22 are angled to one another, each lens 24 is bent at an elbow 26 so as to conform to the shape of the housing.

In FIG. 2, the lenses 24 are shown in the open position to which they have been pivoted about pivot axes 28 (only one axis visible in FIG. 2). The housing 10 contains a conventional socket 29 and bulb 30, the details of which form no part of this invention. Because the bulb 30, socket 29, and the related wiring and contacts are not germane to this invention, they have been omitted in FIG. 3, in order better to show the construction to which this invention pertains.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 3, in which the right-hand lens 24 is clearly shown in the open position. The rearward part 32 of each lens 24 supports two integral trunnions 34 at either end of a pivotal rib 36, the latter being integrally outstanding from the internal surface of each of the lenses 24. The top portion 12 of the housing 10 has two integral, downwardly protruding bearings 38 defining recesses in which the upper trunnions 34 of each lens 24 are journaled. In FIG. 3, only one bearing is visible, and this has been partly brokenaway to show the upper trunnions 34 of the right-hand lens 24.

The bottom portion 14 of the housing 10 supports two integral, upwardly protruding bearings 40, that for the left-hand lens 24 in FIG. 3 being visible, and of course completely enclosing the lower trunnion of the left-hand lens 24.

As can be clearly seen in FIG. 3, the pivot axis 28 of each lens 24 is located at an intermediate point along the lens, this point being approximately midway of the rearward part 32 of each lens 24 in the embodiment here shown. With the pivot axes 28 thus located, it is possible to swing the lenses 24 from the closed position shown in FIG. I to the open position shown in FIG. 2 by inward manual pressure against one end or the other of the lens 24.

As can be clearly seen in FIG. 3, each lens 24 has a resilient arm 42 extending outwardly from the lens 24 away from the axis 28. Each resilient arm 42 is integral with its respective lens 24 and has a bearing edge 44 which is adapted to sweep through an are adjacent the bottom portion 14 as the lens 24 pivots about the axis 28. The bearing edge 44 thus moves between a first position when the lens is closed (the left-hand lens 24 in FIG. 3) and a second position when the lens is open (the right-hand lens 24 in FIG. 3). The bottom portion 14 of the housing 10 has two integral cam surfaces 46 which are laid out to follow the are described by the bearing edges 44. The cam surfaces 46 are adapted to engage the bearing edges 44 with mechanical interference, and each has a profile which defines a peak 48 between a gently sloping ramp 50 and an abruptly sloping ramp 52. As can be seen particularly in FIG. 3, the peak 48 is located between the first and second positions defined above, and is located closely adjacent the first position, i.e. the position assumed by the bearing edge 44 when its respective lens 24 is in the closed position.

Also visible in FIG. 3 are two protuberances 54 which are arranged adjacent the end of the gently sloping ramp 50, in such a way as to limit the pivotal movement of the lenses 24 in the open direction, by interference with the resilient arm 42.

FIG. 5 shows a sectional profile of the arcuate cam surfaces 46.

We claim:

1. In combination:

a lamp housing comprising a first portion and a second portion spaced from each other,

a lens mounted to pivot about an axis extending between said first portion and said second portion, the lens extending to either side of said axis and being restrained against movement longitudinally of said axis,

a resilient arm extending outwardly from the lens away from the axis and having a bearing edge adapted to sweep through an arc adjacent one of said portions as said lens pivots about said axis between a first position when the lens is closed and a second position when the lens is open, said one of said portions having a cam surface following said are and adapted to engage said bearing edge with mechanical interference, the cam surface defining a peak between two oppositely sloping ramps, said peak being located between said first and second positions.

2. The invention claimed in claim 1, in which the first and second portions are substantially parallel and planar, and in which the axis is substantially normal to said first and second portions.

3. The invention claimed in claim 2, in which the lens has two integral, oppositely extending trunnions and the first and second portions each have a recess adapted to receive one of the trunnions, thereby to define said axis.

4. The invention claimed in claim 1, in which said peak is located closely adjacent said first position.

said peak is located closely adjacent said first position, and in which said one of said portions has an integral protuberance arranged to limit the pivotal movement of said lens in the open direction by interference with the resilient arm. 

1. In combination: a lamp housing comprising a first portion and a second portion spaced from each other, a lens mounted to pivot about an axis extending between said first portion and said second portion, the lens extending to either side of said axis and being restrained against movement longitudinally of said axis, a resilient arm extending outwardly from the lens away from the axis and having a bearing Edge adapted to sweep through an arc adjacent one of said portions as said lens pivots about said axis between a first position when the lens is closed and a second position when the lens is open, said one of said portions having a cam surface following said arc and adapted to engage said bearing edge with mechanical interference, the cam surface defining a peak between two oppositely sloping ramps, said peak being located between said first and second positions.
 2. The invention claimed in claim 1, in which the first and second portions are substantially parallel and planar, and in which the axis is substantially normal to said first and second portions.
 3. The invention claimed in claim 2, in which the lens has two integral, oppositely extending trunnions and the first and second portions each have a recess adapted to receive one of the trunnions, thereby to define said axis.
 4. The invention claimed in claim 1, in which said peak is located closely adjacent said first position.
 5. The invention claimed in claim 1, in which said one of said portions has an integral protuberance arranged to limit the pivotal movement of said lens in the open direction by interference with the resilient arm.
 6. The invention claimed in claim 3, in which the lens, the resilient arm and the trunnions are integrally formed, in which said peak is located closely adjacent said first position, and in which said one of said portions has an integral protuberance arranged to limit the pivotal movement of said lens in the open direction by interference with the resilient arm. 